Confused- God Repented of Evil?

[CuriousInIL]

I am very confused by the conclusion of today’s first reading.

When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way,
he repented of the evil that he had threatened to do to them;
he did not carry it out.

God was going to do evil?
Any explanations?

 

[karaleigh]

Deut 31:17-18 At that time my anger God to Moses, sic] will flare up against them; I will forsake them and hide my face from them; they will become a prey to be devoured, and much evil and distress will befall them. At that time they will indeed say, “Is it not because our God is not in our midst that these evils have befallen us?” 18. Yet I will surely hide my face at that time because of all the evil they have done in turning to other gods.

In my understanding, God is not doing evil, the fallen are. God turns HIS face from their cries until the fallen repent and return to doing things the way God says to. Maybe, just my personal understanding. I’ll look it up more and see if you can agree with me some.

 

[Pfaffenhoffen]

I am very confused by the conclusion of today’s first reading.

God was going to do evil?
Any explanations?

Yes, God punishes man (for his sons) with evil things.

 

[Catholic_Dude]

I am very confused by the conclusion of today’s first reading.

God was going to do evil?
Any explanations?

This is speaking of ‘natural evils’, such as earthquakes, famine, hurricanes, disease, etc.

That is not to be confused with ‘moral evils’, which are sins. So called ‘natural evils’ are morally neutral. They are called ‘evils’ because Original Sin introduced corruptions in nature, resulting in pain and suffering as a ‘natural’ occurrence.

 

[jmjconder]

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Yes, God punishes man (for his sons) with evil things.

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In the truest sense your statement is inaccurate. God does not do evil things…He only permits or allows them to bring a greater good out of the situation.

 

[Pfaffenhoffen]

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In the truest sense your statement is inaccurate. God does not do evil things…He only permits or allows them to bring a greater good out of the situation.
**

Is there a difference in God between “allow” and “do” ? That is a human distinction. Remember that evil is for man.
What is evil for man (because ordered by God !) may not be evil for God (for He is who gives the orders !). God cannot sin for sin is a disobedience to God. But God will not give orders to Himself and then obey . This is a human way of thinking…

 

[Gorgias]

I am very confused by the conclusion of today’s first reading.

God was going to do evil?
Any explanations?

Recall that “inspiration”, as it applies to those who wrote the Scriptural accounts, isn’t a matter of some sort of “divine dictation”. God allowed those he inspired to write the accounts in their own way, from their own perspective.

The writer of Jonah needed to explain how it appeared that God was going to destroy Ninevah, but “changed his mind”. His expression of it was “God repented of the evil”. That sort of anthropomorphism is consistent with how folks thought about God in that time frame.

In other words, this is a human expression, attempting to understand God. It shouldn’t be taken literally.